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Several aerodynamic improvements and flow control techniques are used in jet aircraft wings in order to allow a better movement through the air and thus enhance the overall performance of the airplane. The Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta is now working on using these same techniques with trucks and trailers. According to the latest tests using a full-size truck show clearly how the techniques enhance fuel efficiency reducing fuel costs by as much as 12 percent. The techniques can also improve directional control and breaking, enhancing this way safety as well on the roads.

Robert Englar, principal research engineer of Aerospace, Transportation and Advanced Systems Laboratory of the Georgia Tech Research Institute said that they have resolved unknowns from previous testing, and that they have demonstrated that this technology functions in trucks as well as it does in airplanes, and they expect that the trucking industry will consider an estimated 12 percent of fuel expenditure reduction worthy of pursuing. This amount will improve fuel economy resulting in approximately 2,400 million gallons of fuel worth of savings for the United States heavy truck fleet.

The techniques employed in this technology include aerodynamic improvements made possible by geometry modifications in the trucks that generate savings of up to 6 to 7 percent. These modifications include rounding aft trailer corners, installation of fairings, as well as other modifications that smooth air flow over the boxy trucks. The additional savings of 5 percent are achieved through pneumatic devices that blow air from vents at the rear of the vehicle to prevent separation of air flow.

During your search for older truck parts you may become frustrated trying to find specifically what you need. This is especially hard since these parts are no longer made, forcing you to hunt through used inventories at a variety of locations. So where do you look for accessories for the old truck? There are some places to start that can aid in your searching.

One place to start looking is right on the internet. There are alot of websites specializing in cheap parts for old cars and trucks. Many update their inventory frequently so you can quickly see if they stock just what you need for your vintage pickup truck. Shopping this way is convenient since you don't have to leave your home and can have the parts shipped right to your door.

Another great place to find vintage truck parts is at your local junkyard. This can be a hit-and-miss proposition, depending on how large their lot is and what types of vehicles have been junked lately. Don't underestimate the importance of trying this though as you may be pleasantly surprised at what you can find. This is also probably the cheapest method of finding old parts for any type of vehicle.

You can also visit truck shows and talk to the many vendors that sell products there. These people will travel from all over the country trying to sell their most popular items. You may not find the exact part you are looking for, but someone will certainly be able to get it for you. The contacts you can find here make it worth the price of travel and admission alone. And alot of them will specialize in specific makes.

Finally, you can look through newspaper classifieds or swap sheets. This is another good method to locate older items for your pickup, but finding what you need is more luck than anything else. If the used parts section of the paper is large and has alot of readers, the selection may be greater but you still are hoping someone will have the exact year and model you are looking for. But similar to shows for trucks you may find people placing ads for old truck parts in general. When you contact them they will surely know how to locate what you need. That makes this method a viable option as well.

No matter what year or model your truck is somebody surely has parts for it. It may take work on your end to find them, but rest assured they are out there. Restored vehicles are a large part of today's culture. This insures that there are many vendors out there stocking just what you need.

We recommend that the decision maker take the following factors into consideration:

What are the properties of the materials that have to be lifted?
Understand the properties (load) of the materials that have to be lifted. Lift truck capacity is affected by the height that the materials have to be lifted and the size of the load. It is also important to include the dimensions of the load, as this will affect the size of the truck selected.

How will the materials be stored?
The way materials are stored also plays a role in determining the type of lift truck that would be required. Potato farmers are required to store heavy loads at high levels in extreme conditions such as uneven terrain, plenty of dust and temperature controlled environments, which does not allow for much room to move. This differs vastly from a warehouse requiring storage at a high level where pickers are hoisted to break bulk in order to select merchandise.

How will the materials be received and shipped?
Shipping materials from a loading dock allows for more space than materials that have to be received and shipped from a cold room. This will affect the size, lifting capacity and maneuverability of the lift truck required.

What is the weight of materials that have to be lifted?
Bigger is not always better in the materials handling business. One could easily reason that you just get a bigger truck for heavier loads. Bigger trucks require more space to move and may cost more, making it not the most suitable solution where heavy materials in small spaces have to be moved.

At which height must the materials be stored?
Lift height and load size determines the capacity of a lift truck. A bigger load size moves the lift truck´s center of gravity, reducing the lifting capacity, making the height at which the materials that have to be stored just as important as the load.

Once the properties of the materials are determined, the capabilities and options of the lifting equipment should be evaluated. How the lift truck is powered (petrol, diesel, electric), mast options, aisle type, safety features and many more factors have to be taken into consideration when determining which lift truck supplier to use. In our next article we will take a look at the various types of lift trucks available and the features that play a role in determining the right materials handling equipment for the specific job at hand.

Today’s modern SUVs were originally based on trucks and with good reasons. Trucks are versatile machines, transporting soil from Home Depot; towing the yacht to the lake; to hauling family members, their belongings, and even a mid-sized car to use for jaunts to the local restaurant after parking the truck at one’s favorite camping spot.

So it’s surprising that truck owners have not embraced hybrid technology. Who wouldn’t want phenomenally better gas mileage? But in some ways the reaction is understandable. The most well-known hybrid vehicle, the Toyota Prius, is not known for its power to go up mountains or tow even a small cart much less two tons of rocks. Trucks, to fulfill their duties, need power first.

But ‘hybrid’ means merger and in this case, a gasoline engine and battery pack with the latter either supplementing or replacing the former depending on driving conditions. This combination can be tuned to emphasize power or fuel economy, many times providing both. The six-cylinder hybrid Honda Accord, for example, gets an additional fifteen ponies compared to its non-hybrid version while providing gas mileage like its four-cylinder Civic siblings. GM’s first full-sized hybrid trucks, the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, are estimated to get an additional ten percent increase in their mileage. While this may not sound like much, it adds ‘high mileage’ to the pair’s already impressive list of features. But most importantly, neither truck suffers lost of torque for speed, hauling or pulling power with the hybrid powertrain.

The batteries provide other advantages as well. The Silverado and Sierra can use their hybrid batteries to power equipment when on site, for example. Reviewers of the trucks for Automobile magazine found the feature heaven-sent when their computer equipment ran out of juice out in the middle of nowhere. Why haul miniature power plants or extra batteries when you drive one?

Finally, some of the most powerful and popular trucks have diesel option which is not allowed in many states due to environmental concerns. Hybrids were developed to be environmentally friendly and hybrid pickups could be used in lieu of their diesel brethren in such states.

Hybrids offer far more than just being friendly to one’s environment or better gas mileage. Truck owners, already driving one of the most versatile vehicles around, would have all those advantages magnified by a hybrid powertrain.

If you own a pickup truck you most likely haul everything from hardware to the occasional load of groceries in the back of your pickup truck. What protects your precious cargo from the blowing winds of freeway driving and all kinds of pounding wet weather? A tonneau cover helps keep a lid on all of it! It's an easy way to make sure nothing disappears from your bed while you're driving or parked. That my friends is piece of mind, something anyone can use.

The most simple pickup truck tonneau cover over your gear can help prevent weather damage. With some ingenious design features today's tonneau covers take it a few steps further when it comes to protection to your truck bed. For instance, most tonneau covers employ strategically-placed weather seals that channel water away from your cargo. And, many tonneau covers use raised and arched support bows to encourage moisture runoff so your cover does not get wieghed down. While no tonneau cover is completely water-tight, any quality tonneau cover will do an outstanding job of keeping your gear high and dry in nasty weather.

Here are the main benefits to be aware of when you ask yourself, is it worth spending money on a tonneau cover for my pickup truck?

* An immediate improvement in gas mileage with tight, aerodynamic materials covering your otherwise drag-prone open bed

* Sleek looks that range from smooth leather grain patterns to ultra-custom color matched style

* Complete coverage of your payload that keeps your cargo out of sight from potential theft

* Coverage from potentially damaging weather conditions, like rain, snow and extreme sun

* Organized storage for whatever you're hauling in your truck bed, plus the bonus of keeping a lid on loose items

When your cargo is out of sight, it's out of a would-be thief's mind. Tonneau covers make the contents of your truck bed a mystery, giving you confidence that your belongings will be right where you left them.

Many truckers seem like they belong to a secret society and part of that membership consists of various courtesies and unspoken rules of the road. Trucking companies are privy to those rules, but don’t always let the newbies know about them. Those new truck drivers get to learn the hard way. But if they are lucky, veteran truckers will give them a probationary pass to the secret society. Membership has its privileges!

Unspoken Rule #1 – Acknowledging other truckers in this secret society. Common courtesy on the roads is a little thing, but can pay off big if you are ever in the need of some assistance. CB radios are often used to recognize other truckers and even a friendly wave does the trick.

Unspoken Rule #2 – Passing the pavement. Sometimes on busy roads, truckers may not be able to keep an eye on all of the traffic around them. Fellow truckers traveling in other lanes will often flash their lights or make contact by CB radio to tell another truck when they have safely passed another vehicle and it is all right to switch lanes.

Unspoken Rule #3 – Know the code. If you want to communicate with other members of this secret society, you have to have a CB radio. And with that CB radio, comes responsibilities and codes used when talking on the radio. Things like letting other truckers know where all the police speed traps are or if there are any accidents to possibly avoid are among the duties in this secret society.

Unspoken Rule #4 – Headlight Headaches. Anther unspoken common courtesy that truckers will extend to other trucks has to do with headlights. Stopping for any length of time, whether at a weigh station or a fuel stop, truckers will often turn off the headlights and put on their blinking hazard lights. Those headlights are very bright and can easily blind another driver at an inappropriate moment and can be a potential hazard.

There are many other small courtesies that truck drivers extend to one another. As newbies establish themselves with their trucking companies, the die hard truckers will eventually take pity on them and let them know the ins and outs of their “Secret society.” Some of these rules may be unspoken ones, but they sure do pave the way for a more enjoyable trucking experience. Now all these truckers need is a secret handshake!

Ever wonder how some truck drivers just know what is going on out on the roads? How they just seem to know where the accidents and police are located? Thanks to CB radios, these truckers keep their finger on the pulse of all the action on the roads. They are channeling that information via the airwaves – via CB radios of course!

CB radios, also known as Citizen’s Band radios, are the most reliable form of communication for these truckers. They maintain contact with their trucking company via CB radio. They get the latest trucking news via the airwaves. Sometimes, if truckers are on long hauls, they get lonesome for some conversation. CB radios keep those truck drivers in touch with the world. Depending on the area you drive, truckers might use different channels on the CB radio. The most common channel for chatter about trucking is Channel 19. A trucking company may keep in touch with their trucks out on the road via a special channel, but the Channel 19 is most commonly used between the truckers themselves.

If you are new driver for a trucking company, it might be a good idea to just listen to the conversations for awhile. You will notice that there are a lot of codes like “10-43” or “10-200.” These two particular CB codes that truckers use stand for reporting a traffic problem or requesting police at a certain location. There are quite a few of these codes and it could take a while to figure them all out. So unless you greenhorn truckers enjoy major razzing by the more seasoned truck drivers, it will pay off to learn the ins and outs of this CB language before adding your two cents in.

CB radios are a handy tool, not only for the trucking company trying to stay in touch with their drivers, but also for those truckers who just need to fill in that quiet time on the roads. Important trucking news is often relayed via the airwaves as well as potential road hazards and even calls of help from other lost truckers (of course, those are the newbies!). A trucker belongs to an exclusive group – a group that provides a valuable service all over the country. Without CB radios to communicate, their world inside that truck cab would be a silent one.

Sprayed On Truck Bedliner | Pros and Cons

If you own a pickup, then you most likely either have a bed liner or are considering installing one. One of the most popular choices is a sprayed on truck bedliner, and for good reason. They have several key advantages to the more standard heavy duty plastic or rubber bedliners, making them a great choice. However, there are some things to consider before spending your money on one. We've outlined some of the advantages below, and also mentioned a couple disadvantages that you need to be aware of.

First, let's start with the pros of having a sprayed on bedliner:

1 - The biggest advantage is their excellent durability and resistance to scratches. You can drop just about anything on them without worrying about gouging or scratching the surface.

2 - Their non skid surface will prevent your cargo from moving around. This is a pretty big plus as well, since you don't want things such as gas cans or breakables moving around.

3 - You will experience less vibration in your bed with one of these, as compared to a more traditional hard plastic liner. The reasoning for this is the sprayed on version is adhered directly to the bed, making it essentially one piece. This leaves no room for flexing or moving of materials at all, even during extreme wind conditions.

4 - Moisture cannot get between the liner and pickup bed, causing rust and corrosion. This is a possibility with other bed liners, which can damage and rot your vehicle over time.

5 - This material will never crack or split due to inclement weather conditions. It can handle extreme cold and heat.

6 - Several colors are available, allowing you to match the bedliner with the color of your paint.

7 - And finally, there are no special sizing requirements to worry about when ordering since it is sprayed directly onto the bed.

Here are some potential negatives to consider before buying a sprayed on truck bedliner:

1 - This type of liner can never be removed. While you may never need to replace it, should you sell your truck the liner will go with it.

2 - It needs to be installed by a professional, who has the correct equipment to do the job. Many shops provide this service for a fee.

3 - They tend to be more expensive than comparable heavy duty rubber or plastic bedliners.

As you can see, there are some distinct advantages to installing a sprayed liner on your pickup but there are also reasons why you may want to go the more traditional route. You need to weigh the pros and cons and decide which one makes sense for you. Fortunately, the options are abundant and there is alot of information available for each one. One thing that is certain is that no matter which bedliner you choose, your bed will be protected from unnecessary damage.

When your income depends upon keeping those wheels turning, you simply do not have a lot of time to fool around looking for used trucks and trailers. You could spend several hours a day just reading the classified ads and never find what you're looking for. And although those "Trucks and Trailers For Sale" newspapers are everywhere you look, it's not only hard to find exactly what you need when you read them, but more often than not the used truck or trailer is already sold by the time you call the person who placed the ad.

That's why shopping online is perfect whenever you are in the market for a used truck, trailer or even hard-to-find truck and trailer parts. There are websites created and run by truckers that are the Internet's premier classified ad sites, dedicated solely to the trucking industry. Use the quick search features to narrow down the thousands of listings, or an advanced search engine to find listings that meet your exact requirements. Or, if you want, you can take your time and leisurely browse by category. Any way you do it, you won't find a bigger collection of used trucks and trailers than what's waiting for you online.

Top sellers know that millions of potential buyers visit web sites each year and with those kinds of numbers, the internet is their first choice when it comes to listing trucking equipment that they no longer need. With advertising rates as low as $19.95 it basically guarantees them the chance to move their equipment quicker and less expensively than they can anywhere else.

All of this means that you'll have the biggest selection of used trucks and trailers at your fingertips and at prices that won't make you nervous. That's the kind of service you need when every minute you spend off the road is money out of your pocket, and that's the kind of service you get when you shop online for trucking equipment.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that you won't find what you're looking for. There are sellers listing some of the most highly sought after names in the industry including:

Freightliner Trucks, International Trucks, Kenworth Trucks, Mack Trucks, Volvo Trucks, Peterbilt Trucks, Ford Trucks, Sterling Trucks, GMC Trucks, Western Star Trucks, Chevrolet Trucks, and more.

You can also find listings for high quality trailers including those made by Great Dane Trailers,Fruehauf Trailers,Fontaine Trailers, Wilson Trailers, Lufkin Trailers, Trailmobile Trailers, Transcraft Trailers, Vanguard Trailers, Wabash Trailers, Reitnouer Trailers, and Strick Trailers.

Forget the classifieds, magazines and newspapers. Don't waste time and money looking for used truck and trailers anywhere else. Simply log on to the internet, and you will find what you need at the price you're willing to pay. There's simply no better solution.

Tired of high gas prices? Want to save the earth? Want to support local economies and clean the air while getting high performance out of your vehicle? Try Biodiesel. It's clean, sustainable, domestic, renewable AND you can make it at home!!! Wave farewell to petroleum.

Amidst the hybrid hype, there has been little mention of one of the oldest 'alternative' fuels with some tremendous advantages. Invented and patented by Rudolf Diesel in 1893, diesel engines were first made to run on various vegetable oils. Thus, almost any diesel engine outfitted with the right hoses is capable of cleaner, vegan, non-petroleum based Biodiesel operation. (Most newer diesels have the right hoses).

Diesels have tremendous advantages. Although their pricepoint can be somewhat higher initially, it's well worth it in the long run. Diesel engines are well known for their consistent reliability, length of engine life, and perhaps most importantly, their fuel economy. In our ever-growing awareness of planetary resources and taking geopolitical circumstances into account, fuel economy is beginning to take a place of primacy.

When running on biodiesel, there are tremendous emissions benefits as well. Traditional dinosaur-diesel powered engines have gotten a bad rap for their dark, smoky exhaust, smell and pollution of our air. Biodiesel, on the other hand, reduces emissions significantly in every category in which pollutants are measured except nitrous oxide (NOx) which can be adjusted with some slight modifications. Unlike their petroleum powered counterparts, biodiesel exhaust smells pleasantly like the feedstock of whatever vegetable oil is used. (There are tales of people who have used recycled fryer oil for their biodiesel from their local doughnut shop and subsequently end up with visions of Krispy Kreme.)

Performance wise, biodiesel has a higher lubricity than conventional diesel, subsequently acting as a bit of an 'enema' for the engine, cleaning out the dinosaur residue, so be sure and replace the fuel filter after the first couple of tanks of biodiesel. After that, because biodiesel is so clean burning, it actually may reduce maintenance costs and extend engine life.

Europe, which has traditionally been more diesel-heavy than the US, (currently diesels occupy about 40 % of the European market) has recently increased its emissions standards and subsequently the use of biodiesel has taken off in a big way. Europeans are supporting the growth of the biodiesel industry through farming subsidies of biodiesel feedstocks unknown in the US until this week when Oregon introduced a similar bill in their State Legislature.

Another tremendous advantage of Biodiesel is its blend-ability. Biodiesel can be used straight (called B100) or blended in any percentage with conventional #2 diesel, and even at low percentages (B5 or B10) has incredible emissions benefits. Subsequently, if you're out traveling and don't have access to homemade or storebought biodiesel, you can use regular diesel in your tank with no conversion issues.

There are an ever-growing number of biodiesel filling stations available if you don't have space or interest in making your own. Check with www.biodiesel.org for more information of what's available in your area. For more biodiesel resources see www.EcoNurse.com.

On a personal note, I've been running my VW Jetta TDI (Turbo Diesel Injection) on Biodiesel (mostly B100) for the last three years with only good things to say. It's been trouble-free and now it's actually pleasant to have the sunroof open. And if your outdated ideas suggest that diesels compromise performance or speed, feel free to sniff my doughnuts

Whenever costs go up in the Transportation Industry, whether they be insurance, labor or fuel historically that signals more bankruptcies for Independents and more industry consolidation. So with Diesel Prices up over $.30 per gallon, as oil prices rush thru $70.00 per barrel will we see more of the same now in 2006? Perhaps and let’s flash back real quick to 2000 during the downturn in the economy and higher than normal fuel prices.

In 2000 Trucking Company Consolidators and Merger and Acquisition specialists were making their move to buy up companies and capture customers that as the lead pack is moving ahead. Fed Ex, UPS, Swift, J.B.Hunt, Yellow, were consolidating with cash on hand, great credit lines, an abundance of sellers and a specific strategy. We watched as New Truck Manufacturers had laid off one half of their employees. Banks reluctant to repo independents for fear they will be upside down in the loans if they tried to sell when every used truck dealer in America was over stocked by 300 percent and sales were down by 45 percent. Fuel costs and over regulation, such as the OSHA rules, DOT rules, over taxation by states on fuel, too much road construction because of surpluses of state income taxes slowing traffic, hours rules, etc. were the cause. The Industry felt the affects.

Now most independent trucking companies are competing against companies with thin margins as they are on major razor thin margins themselves. Needless to say trucking sure is not what it once was. Is the industry going to find more consolidation with the higher fuel prices as the War in Iran heats up or the Hurricane Season gets going? Are we going to see the commodity analysts $85.00 per barrel predictions and almost $4.00 per gallon diesel prices? Some are worried and others see this as a buying opportunity in the making. Consider all this in 2006.

Many people who wish to build a truck wash, as it can be a lucrative business indeed. Yet how do you choose a location, where competition is light, traffic is not and weather and terrain benefit you? Well these is a way, now then let me take you thru the decision process of how to choose a good location by showing you an example.

Our company had looked at this particular location and later chose not to build there, but it is a good exercise in thought and location decision making indeed. Read this as a stream of thought, as that way it will give you the most ideas and the over all concept.

We have seen a need for quite sometime in Rufus, OR and/or Biggs, OR where HWY 97 meets the 84 FWY. There is traffic from Kennewick, Pascoe coming into the Dalles and Portland, which is very dirty also coming in from the Boise, Nampa area and up from Winnemuca, Reno or from Salt Lake. Traffic has been increasing over the last few years and Portland cannot handle the train traffic due to the size of the Port and the land available for additional expansion of rail track. Also in the Winter few trucks moving across the country to Seattle or Portland wish to go over the grade at Snoqualmie on 80. Traveling 80 takes you over two treacherous summits often requiring chains, whereas 84 along the river does not. Stanfield catches every direction, but Biggs is a good location too.

The only truck stop of any size is the Pilot at exit 188 and then in the outskirts of Portland on the 84 at exit 17. Leaving nearly 250 miles to 380 miles from any truck wash depending on the direction of over the road travel. Pilot has no truck wash there and the little tiny privately owned truck stops do not either. This is a terrible void and is part of the reason for all the dirty trucks coming into Portland. Portland only has three truck washes.

One on exit 17 is only open 6 am to 6 pm missing nearly all the nighttime traffic, and Blue Beacon is jammed at the Jubitz Truck Stop and JKL Truck wash, next door to Blue Beacon as in 20 feet from building to building, is an automatic rollover RYCO half and half unit, which few would approve of. Blue Beacon uses HF on all trucks and whoops, there are some real OSHA issues and aluminum dulling problems with that. If anyone out there wants to join this team from Kennewick, Biggs, Dalles, Portland, Rufus, Stanfield, Hermiston, Pendleton or Umatilla we would be interested in immediate action.

This should help you in considering all the criteria necessary when choosing a good location for a truck wash. By systematically addressing all these types of issues you should be able to pick an excellent spot for your next truck wash; so consider this in 2006.

Recently several large trucking companies have announced huge profits due to hedging against fuel prices, which came down towards the last quarter of 2005 and the first quarter of 2006 before racing back up in the middle of Q2 2206.

Large Profit takers were Swift Transportation, Knight Transportation, FedEx, UPS and many others. Now with oil prices pushing upward and Hurricane Season coming and of course the looming Iran Nuclear Weapons Showdown of 2006 most in the transportation sector are not so optimistic. In fact many have significantly raised rates to be assured they are not slaughtered in Q3 2006.

There were some carriers including Covenant Transportation with losses and some companies are now talking Mergers. In fact the CEO of UPS has said the company may consider an extremely large acquisition. This makes a lot of sense, but who might that be? Would it be Yellow/Roadway, a Rail Road, Covenant or some other Cargo Container Company?

When UPS says; “extremely large” they would mean Big as in enormous. So who are the players and will UPS indeed kick off a huge string of mergers once again in the Transportation Sector like FedEx did a few years ago with their move into FedEx Ground and FedEx Freight? Consider all this in 2006.

Pollution Standards for trucks are changing and sulfur in diesel fuel is also changing and many truck manufacturers have been working on this for many years. Some are making quite a bit of head way indeed. Soon all over the road 18-wheelers will run more efficiently and cleaner. Let’s talk about one of those companies now; Daimler Chrysler with their Caterpillar partnership.

Here is an excerpt of an article from back in 2002, as companies aligned themselves with partnerships in order to comply with the Clinton-EPA low-sulfur rules by 2006;

“DaimlerChysler-Catepillar joint venture is a major step in coming up with a non-sulfur high performance engine. This may give Freightliner and Sterling the only trucks with engines to perform with the new fuel requirements in cold weather states and mountainess terrain. Also it could possible be the only diesel engine allowed in a few years under CA emissions law as part of the AQMDs recent phasing out of non-clean burning engines on truck weighing over 14K GVW. Also with Volvo no longer allowing choice of engines on their future trucks to save on the stocking of parts and to prevent their customers from going to Select-A-truck routine maintenance centers owned by Freightliner who is owned by DaimlerChysler. This could also be a problem for TA Truck Stops because they usually house Select-A-Truck service centers that would not normally stock all the genuine Volvo truck parts in their new deal with two other manufacturers of engines. Can you say turf war? As new truck sales decline and lay offs already occurred at Freightliner, Kenworth, Peterbuilt, Volvo, International.”

Any time there are new regulations on fuel mileage efficiency, environmental controls or safety regulations the free market adapts in real time. Sometimes this causes chaos and thus opportunity for one competitor over another. I think this is one example of that, as we shall see many more such examples in the transportation and Auto Manufacturing markets in this year. So consider all this in 2006.

Want to save more fuel America? Well then start with the over the road 18-wheeler tractor-trailer rigs. That is right, you see, trucks often get only 4-6 miles per gallon and much of the fuel is consumed over 55 miles per hour as the co-efficient of drag chart goes hyperbolic.

I propose that we design different trailer bodies for all these trucks, which include a squared off cone rear-end. Shaped like a pyramid on its side facing behind the truck trailer. Learn more about truck aerodynamics to continue this conversation;

By reducing drag drastically we should be able to get 2-4 miles per gallon more off every truck on the road. Accumulatively that is a huge savings of 16.8% of our total diesel usage in our nation. This will also drastically lower prices due to lessening of the volume of demand on the total supply.

How will this cone shaped invention or innovation I have in mind work? Well simple. The base of the cone sticking back will attach to the rear of the trailers edges. When the truck goes to back up the top and bottom will swivel on the sides to the right and left sides and then slide back on sliders along the sides of the truck and out of the way for loading or local city driving.

For long hauls the cone comes out for fuel efficiency and this also keeps cars back further and a safer following distance before the hard bumper of the trailers. The cones will be made of light-weight material and due to the economies of scale to produce one for every truck, the price will be under $3,000 and that can be saved in the first 8,000 to 15,000 miles in fuel at the current $3.00 per gallon costs. And remember many of these tractor trailer rigs will have 500,000 to 1 million miles on them before they are sold as used and then bought by Mexican Trucking companies and seconds. Consider all this in 2006. Lets be technologically smart about the fuel, which drives us around.

If you are an owner operator with just one truck or if you own a company with one to a thousand trucks, you are out there on the road every day trying to make money. What I am about to show you is that if you are running a Kenworth W900L, a Peterbilt 379-127, an International 9900, a Western Star 4964EX, a Freightliner Classic or any other brand truck with a hood, you are leaving money out on the road rather then in your pocket. Ladies and Gentlemen, I am here to tell you that with the rising cost of fuel and the rising cost of maintaining a truck you must get creative with what you drive. In today's truck market, you can invest in a more aerodynamic truck like a Kenworth T2000, Kenworth T600, Peterbilt 387, Freightliner Century, Freightliner Columbia or any other aerodynamic truck and you can get all of the interior features and sleeper configurations that you can get in a truck with a hood. What you get by switching to a more aerodynamic truck is INCREASED fuel mileage. Take a look at these conservative calculations.

Single Truck Owner Operator – Poor Fuel Mileage
•Run one truck that averages 5.0 miles per gallon 100,000 miles per year at $2.50 per gallon.
–20,000 gallons of fuel purchased
–20,000 gallons x $2.50 per gallon = $50,000 yearly fuel cost

Single Truck Owner Operator – Improved Fuel Mileage
•Increase your fuel mileage to 6.0 Miles per gallon, running 100,000 miles per year at $2.50 per gallon.
–100,000 miles/6.0 Mpg = 16,667 gallons of fuel purchased
–16,667 gallons x $2.50 per gallon = $41,667 yearly fuel cost.

Single Truck Running Team – Poor Fuel Mileage
•Running one truck as a team and average 150,000 miles per year, average 5 miles per gallon at $2.50 per gallon
–30,000 gallons of fuel purchased
–30,000 gallons x $2.50 per gallon = $75,000 yearly fuel cost

Single Truck Running Team – Improved Fuel Mileage
•If you increase your fuel mileage by 1 to 6.0 miles per gallon and you run 150,000 miles per year at $2.50 per gallon
–150,000 miles/6.0 Mpg = 25,000 gallons of fuel purchased.
–25,000 gallons x $2.50 per gallon = $62,500 yearly fuel cost.

Total Savings
•100,000 miles per year
–5.0 Miles per gallon = $50,000
–6.0 Miles per Gallon = $41,667
–$50,000-$41,667 = $8,333 SAVINGS
•150,000 miles per year
–5.0 Miles per gallon = $75,000
–6.0 miles per gallon = $62,500
–$75,000 - $62,500 = $12,500 SAVINGS

Added Benefits
•By having increase fuel mileage that means you can go farther on a fuel load, which allows you to go farther for cheaper fuel. What happens if you purchase fuel for $2.48 per gallon or just .02 per gallon under the average.
•100,000 miles per year = $41,333 per year for a savings of $8,667 a extra $300 in your pocket.
•150,000 miles per year = $62,000 per year for a savings of $13,000, a extra $500 in your pocket.

By increasing your miles per gallon with the purchase of a more aerodynamic truck you can expect to increase your profit margin by $8500 to $15,000 per truck depending on how many miles you run per year. Please note that my example only increase your fuel mileage by 1 miles per gallon. Do the math and you will see that while your competitors are out there running trucks with a hood, you can run a more aerodynamic truck and put more money in your pocket. With the fuel savings alone, you can almost make your truck payment for the year, now wouldn't that be nice.

ODC Trailer leasing is a specialized business. Not every one wants a trailer that is rated for four hundred tones. The requirement is specialized and the equipment availability is also required to be considered in big projects.

Big Projects Require Leasing of Big Trailers

If you have ever been to a construction site of a big power plant or a nitrogenous fertilizer plant you will be able to see very big trailers. These trailers are required to handle ODC (over dimensioned consignments) packages. These can be reactors of fertilizer plants extending to more than 100 meters, or the power plant generators of weight more than 400 to 650 tons (imagine a single piece of equipment weighing more than 1.5 million pounds)

Transportation of ODC requires Leased Trailers

These trailers are not available with every transporter. These trailers are to be leased from specialized truck leasing companies and contracts are require to be made years in advance. If you do not plan the transportation of ODC material your project costing more than a billion dollars can be delayed and you will be required to pay a large amount. Very few construction companies in the world can afford to have these trailers on their asset list. So they have to be leased and leased in advance.

ODC Trailers require Special Handling

These trailers leased to the construction companies for years together require special handling and are damp leased. The crew cannot afford to get away from the leased trailer. The fueling arrangements of these leased trailers are also special. The trailer cannot go to the filling station. The filling station has to come to the trailer. The crew operating the trailer also looks after the maintenance of the leased trailer

Driving Arrangement of ODC Trailers

Most of the trailers are pulled fro the front of the trailer and the pulling force is generally sufficient. Where the slope of ground requires pushing from behind a separate driving head has to accompany each trailer so as to be able to push the trailer from behind. The front and rear driving heads come as a combined unit and the company leasing these equipments does not generally have a choice. Most of the time, the trailer is leased for the entire duration of the project, and kept at site for 2 to 3 years depending upon the duration of the project.

Insurance of Leased Trailers

The insurance of the trailers and the associated paraphernalia of leased trailer is the responsibility of the construction company and the insurance of crew is also included in the package of leased trailer.

Lessee Holds All Aces In ODC trailer Leasing

Thus when it comes to leasing of trailers for handling of ODC packages it is all for the construction company to cater to the whims of the leasing company. The construction company normally does not have a choice as its future depends on the lessee providing the equipment at the right time and at the right place. Any delay in providing the equipment can mar the success of project.

In other words if you happen to be the owner of an ODC trailer, you can dictate terms worldwide. There is no competition in this field worldwide and very few firms lease this kind of trailers.

In United States of America our president as stated; America is addicted to Middle Eastern oil and it is time that we break that addiction. Indeed, America is addicted to Middle Eastern foreign oil, but we do not have to be, as we have so many options and as we increase the production of bio diesel for trucks and ethanol for cars we will be well on our way to kicking the habit.

Between 2004 in 2005 bio diesel production is up from 25 million gallons to over 75 million gallons and it is expected to double again by the end of 2006. Why is this happening? Partly due to government incentives and the grass-roots efforts of the Northern Midwest to grow their own fuel. Let's face it farmers need fuel to; to run their tractors. Did you know that Willie Nelson, the country singer has his own brand of bio diesel fuel, which is used by truck drivers and sold in California, as well as the Midwest? Some truck drivers even call him Bio-Willie after the brand of Bio-Diesel Fuel.

One problem with bio diesel fuel is the petroleum-based diesel fuel it is also subject due to supply price spikes and in the off growing season it can cost as much as 20 to 35 percent more or if the farmers have a bad season it could be even harder. Also bio diesel must be stored in heated tanks and therefore it is subjected to price spikes in natural gas. So there is both good and bad to bio diesel fuel, but it is no doubt one option to helping America break her addiction to Middle Eastern oil. Consider this in 2006.